Performance of Australia’s Disability Standards for Education 2005: a policy analysis and evaluation

Beginning teacher preparation and readiness for the profession as inclusive educators

“…Repeated calls have been made for improvements to the professional preparation and ongoing learning of teachers (e.g. see de Bruin, 2020; de Bruin, 2021) and to ensure clarity in schools regarding how students’ entitlements are upheld. For example, while the mandated Australian Curriculum provides guidance for teachers to meet the diverse learning needs of students (Australian Curriculum and Assessment Authority [ACARA], 2016), the curriculum only articulates content and performance standards without reference to how these are taught and assessed.…”

“…A wealth of research reinforces that ITE should foster the beliefs, rationale and practical knowledge of inclusive education, for it to effectively occur (Rouse, 2008; Sharma & Nuttal, 2016). It is vital that evidence-based content regarding appropriate planning, implementation and understanding of reasonable adjustments under the DSE takes place within ITE to ensure high-quality inclusive practices that support every student without exception are taking place (de Bruin, 2020, 2021). Understanding the knowledge and beliefs for inclusive teaching, and the practical preparation of teachers to implement it within the classroom, is key.…”

“…Concerns remain about what is taught in the name of inclusive education. These concerns include the adequacy of ITE frameworks for developing pre-service teachers’ skills and strategies (Subban & Mahlo 2017), their preparation to teach and differentiate for diversity (Serry et al, 2022) and their understanding of the DSE standards, particularly students’ rights and their obligations under the standards (de Bruin, 2021). Some research suggests that this preparation can influence whether teachers chose to stay in the profession (Kelly et al, 2019) highlighting the importance of ITE programs to enhance pre-service teachers’ knowledge and understanding of obligation under the DSE to meet the diverse learning and behavioural needs of all students.…”

Closing special schools: lessons from Canada

“…To date, discussions about progressing educational inclusion have focussed on building capacity in mainstream schools (Brussino, 2021) rather than desegregation. Special schools, however, remain a significant barrier to inclusive education reform (de Bruin et al, 2023;Felder, 2021;Jahnukainen, 2015). In providing an alternative option for students with disability, special schools release mainstream schools from their obligation to include students with disability and encourage gatekeeping practices that restrict access to local schools (ACIE, 2021;Poed et al, 2020).…”